Celem artykułu jest prezentacja stanu badań geograficznych prowadzonych w nurcie postsekularyzmu. Geografia zaliczana jest do grupy tych dyscyplin naukowych, które jako jedne z pierwszych włączyły się w postsekularny dyskurs, nawiązując w warstwie teoretycznej do myśli Jürgena Habermasa. Geografowie w swoich badaniach podkreślają, że pomimo obserwowanego stopniowego powrotu religii do przestrzeni publicznej sekularyzacja i desekularyzacja mogą występować jednocześnie. Geografia wzbogaca myśl postsekularną o analizę interakcji sekularyzmu i sakralności w przestrzeni. Ważnym tematem badań jest wpływ symboliki lub kodu kulturowego na wyrażenie religijnej tożsamości osób i miejsc, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem przestrzeni miejskiej. W badaniach geograficznych zwraca się też uwagę m.in. na kapitał duchowy człowieka (VBA) oraz działalność organizacji opartych na wierze (FBOs), których wolontariusze – o różnych tożsamościach religijnych – pracują na rzecz wykluczonych grup społecznych.
The analysis presented herein addresses the issue of social and religious diversity within the Catholic Church and its influence on voter turnout and Sejm election results in Poland. The paper covers election results from 2001 to 2007. Both organizational-institutional characteristics and social-religious characteristics of the Church have been taken into account when assessing the impact of the Church on regional differences in political support for selected political factions in 2005. The impact of each factor on the support level for a given party or political orientation in a regional (spatial) context was assessed on the basis of the degree of coincidence of the factors of interest, measured using the coefficient of correlation.
The analysis presented herein addresses the issue of social and religious diversity within the Catholic Church and its influence on voter turnout and Sejm election results in Poland. The paper covers election results from 2001 to 2007. Both organizational-institutional characteristics and social-religious characteristics of the Church have been taken into account when assessing the impact of the Church on regional differences in political support for selected political factions in 2005. The impact of each factor on the support level for a given party or political orientation in a regional (spatial) context was assessed on the basis of the degree of coincidence of the factors of interest, measured using the coefficient of correlation.
The end of the First World War saw a rebirth of the Polish state, but with indeterminate borders. As a result of a conflict between Poland and Czechoslovakia about Cieszyn Silesia, in February 1919 this area, including the town of Cieszyn, was temporarily divided (its part on the left bank of the Olza went to Czechoslovakia). Similarly, after the Second World War the new Polish-German border ran along the Lusatian Nysa and Oder rivers. Also in this case several split towns were created (including Görlitz-Zgorzelec, Gubin-Guben, and Frankfurt on the Oder – Słubice). Besides, despite the strong dividing /separating function of the border, some of the towns with border crossings started to expand towards the state border (e.g. Kudowa-Zdrój and Nachod). After the political transformation of the late 1980s and early '90s, split and border towns experienced significant changes in their demographic structures as well as in their economies and services. Thus, they started developing various complementary functions (especially shopping and some services) for the residents of the other side of the border. Demographic changes are most readily visible in the German parts of the split towns, in which shrinkage has accelerated after the unification of Germany. This process involves, among other things, a heavy outflow of inhabitants, primarily young and better educated, to western lands and a steep slump in the total fertility rate. Still, the most important changes observed in the split towns over the last two decades have been consumer behaviour patterns determined, among other things, by differences in prices in the neighbouring states. They involve frequent crossings of the state border to buy goods and services cheaper than in the home town. The chief places intended to serve consumers from the other side of the border are mostly bazaars (on the Polish side) and a network of specialised service facilities. ; En effet des changements des frontières dans la première moitié du XXe siècle tout près des frontières à l'ouest et au sud de la Pologne sept villes divisées ont apparu. Dans les années 1945–1989, les contacts économiques entres les villes situées de deux côtés de la frontière ont été difficiles. En se basant sur les recherches effectuées dans les années 1990–2010 on a constaté qu'à la suite des changements politiques de la fin des années 80 et du début des années 90 dans les villes divisées ont eu lieu les modifications importantes dans la structure démographique ainsi que dans l'économie et les services. Ces villes ont commencé, entre autres, à développer les différentes fonctions complémentaires (en particulier dans le domaine du commerce et dans certains services), adressées aux habitants de l'autre côté de la frontière.
